Would BYU want SDSU in western Big East?

An email seeking comment from a BYU official wasn’t immediately returned, though the answer is probably no. Conference realignment is about the pursuit of new revenues, and the San Diego market has been valuable to BYU.

Even though the Cougars no longer are in the same league as SDSU, they wanted to remain a presence in San Diego, home of a large Mormon population. BYU even signed a deal with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl to appear in that game next year if the Cougars are bowl-eligible.

So any comments from a SDSU staffer probably won’t affect BYU’s attraction to new revenue potential and the San Diego market. As for the “disadvantages” of being in a league with BYU, a SDSU spokesman said Bramer declined to comment about it. The spokesman said Sterk also declined to comment about it.

By contrast, head football coach Rocky Long does have a comment about it – sort of.

“I’m sure Jenny is hearing from the BYU fans,” Long said.

Long should know. In February, long after BYU announced it was leaving the Mountain West to turn independent in football, Long talked about a “certain school” having an “advantage.” He was referring to BYU, which has several players go on two-year Mormon missions. Such players then return to the program older and more mature than the average college football player – a possible big advantage on the field.

Off the field, the bigger advantage --- or disadvantage -- for BYU in the realignment game is television.

A big reason BYU left the Mountain West was TV revenue. In the Mountain West, teams get about $1.5 million annually, and BYU estimated it could make more than that on its own. It has its own TV network, BYUtv, which might not fit in well with a conference TV rights deal shared with other members. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that was an issue with the Big 12 – a “disadvantage” of sorts.

If it’s a disadvantage to the Big East, it could be an advantage for SDSU. SDSU has been in contact with Boise about joining that league. It has pursued membership in the Big 12 and Big East because its conference TV revenues would at least double and might approach $10 million or more in either league.

But first it needs an invitation. If Air Force stays in the Mountain West and BYU decides to go to the Big East, the Aztecs might need the advantage of being BYU’s friend. The financial disadvantages of not being in the same conference as the Cougars now could far outweigh any other disadvantages the Aztecs perceived there were with BYU in the Mountain West.